My boyfriend is currently in pre-trial detention until he gets his sentence in court (his sentence will be at least 2 years). So far I have been allowed to visit him 2 hours each week. I was wondering how it would change after he gets his sentence. Can I get to have a visit in person? If yes, after how much time? What are trailer visits and all that? I'm gonna go crazy if I can't touch him at least once in person before more than 2 years. :(

P.S. I know I am from Canada but there is no sub-forum about visitation in the canadian section.

mrsdragoness

07-04-2006, 05:10 AM

Canada does have this wonderful "what you need to know" section so I've moved your thread here. That way our Canadian members can give you specific information.

good luck

mrsd

User9999

07-04-2006, 06:06 AM

Hey and welcome to PTO,
If your husband is sentenced to federal time (2 years or more) then yes you will be allowed contact visits in almost all cases. You are also eligible for family visits under federal time. To get family visits you must be married or common law. To be common law you must have lived together for 6 months leading up to the offense. If you are not common law you can also get family visits by him being in constant contact since his incerceration for a period of 1 year. You are not eligible for family visits if he is in on domestic violence charges, sex charges and I believe if he is a lifer. I can't remember for sure but I will check.

If you are comfortable with it, can you give us a little more information so we can help you better? What kind of time is he looking at, do you know? All the info I've given is for a federal sentence, so if he is going to serve provinbcial time let us know and someone who is familiar with the provinvcial system can help you much better than me.

Good luck and again, welcome to pto!

Erin

Isabelia

07-04-2006, 11:28 AM

First of all, thanks a lot for your answers! I feel more secure having people here who can help me and give me information.

So let me give you more information about my boyfriend's case. For the moment he is in pre-trial detention. The charge against him is aggravated assault (he got caught in a bar fight). So since it's concerning the criminal code, it has to do with federal right? (Correct me if I'm wrong) It's his first case of violence so his lawyer told me that he most likely will get the minimal sentence, which is 2 years. Within those 2 years, the third will be spent in jail and the rest can be spent on 'probation' (I'm not sure of that term in English, but it's when he's still on his sentence but spending it at home with strict rules). So I know he'll be spending at least 8 month in jail (without subtracting the time he's spending right now in pre-trial detention, which can count for double). So I was wondering if I'll be allowed to have contact visits during those 8 months. We are not married and we had been living under the same roof for 5 months only before he got arrested (but we've been together as a couple for much longer). Will I be allowed to have contact visit anyway? For the moment I can visit him 2 hours in a row per week (instead of 2 times one hour per week since I travel from Quebec city to Montreal to visit him). So if you have any other information about contact visits for when he'll be doing his sentence (after his pre-trial detention), that'd be really helful for me. Thank you for everything.

Nicole32

07-04-2006, 10:54 PM

Hi Isabelia, welcome to PTO and I am sorry to hear about your situation.

I am not sure about Quebec but in BC it takes quite a while before you would be able to have a private family visit, he may be out before you receive one (just so you are prepared in case it does not happen right away). In some prisons it takes a few weeks or more just have your phone list and/or visits approved let alone a private family visits as they only have a few trailers (or buildings) for private family visits and with so many inmates sometimes you only have a private family visit every three months (sometimes six months) and that is once you are approved, although once you are approved you are allowed to have one every two months depending on availability as stated above.

In regards to LovinJus's comments (and I don't think they apply to you) but you can have a private family visit if you are in for domestic violence and sexual assualt unless Corrections Canada has deemed the individual to be currently at risk of becoming involved in family voilence or is in receipt of unescorted temporary absences for family contact purposes; or in a special handling unit or are awaiting decision or have been approved for transfer to a special handling unit, otherwise everyone is eligible and from what I understand lifers (at least in BC) are the first priority to get private family visits as others may be released to see their family again. You would be able to have contact visits (and that is not a private family visit) where you will be able to hold hands, hug etc., which is great because in some prisons (usually only provincial prisons) you are behind glass and can have no contact. All the federal prisons that my man has been in they have visits quite a few times a week and they also have socials where you are able to stay for most of the day. I wish you luck and I hope that you are able to have your private family visits. Take care and if you have any other questions pls feel free to ask.

User9999

07-05-2006, 11:03 AM

To determine if the case is provincial or federal depends solely onthe sentence. If he is sentenced to 2 years or more (not what he will actually serve, but his sentence hadned down) then he is federal. Federal inmates recieve contact visits unless they do something to have them taken away. Even if you arae not married or common law or anyhting, you can get them. Family visits you may or may not be able to get, it will depend on your circumstances and the person reviewing the case (his case manager, assignerd once in prison)

Sometimes a sentence is handed down of "two years less a day". This is done so the will spend their incarceration in a provincial jail. In provincial jail, as far as I know someone correct me if I am wrong, your only visits are non contact (through glass). This is not fun but with the time he is doing on remand right now, it counts as double time so hopefully if he does provincial time it won't amount to very much.

Let us know if you have any more questions!

Erin

Nicole32

07-06-2006, 12:23 AM

Hey LovinJus, in some provinical prisons visits are behind glass and some have contact. Presently my man is doing provinical and we have contact visits but other provinical prisons he has been in have been behind glass, which really sucks. All the federal prisons we have had contact visits and as you said that will only be taken away if they have done something to have them taken away, I have not had to experience that when he has done federal time but have seen it happen and sometimes it is the visitor that has had the contact priviledges taken away not the inmate. Take care.